Thibodaux presents update on zoning study

Thibodaux residents want to keep a low crime rate and small-town atmosphere but see some controlled expansion, according to a report outlining the city's future.

Jacob BatteStaff Writer

Thibodaux residents want to keep a low crime rate and small-town atmosphere but see some controlled expansion, according to a report outlining the city's future. The report was put together by the Center for Planning Excellence and presented to about 50 residents and officials at a public hearing on zoning restructuring Wednesday night. “(Thibodaux) is a small town, and people like the quaintness of it. They like to know their neighbors and be able to cross town in 10 minutes. They want to be able to retain that, but they want to add jobs that are high-tech related,” said Haley Blakeman, Center for Planning Excellence director. Residents want to build upon jobs connected to Port Fourchon and the medical district so local graduates will want to stay, Blakeman said. “They want that small town, but they also want something that is progressive and that keeps their kids here,” she said. One surprising note from the planning firm's study is the city's low crime rate, Blakeman said. Resident Robert Ledet said what little crime there is comes from outside of Thibodaux. “You notice a lot of people don't get arrested from around here. They're from Houma or Raceland. But not from Thibodaux,” Ledet said. The Baton Rouge-based Center for Planning Excellence hired planner and land attorney Steve Villavaso of New Orleans-based Villavaso and Associates to present an updated zoning map. Villavaso said everyone wants to see the map, but residents need to be looking at the rules and regulations. “The regulations, the standards, how the different zones fit together is what make the map work,” he said. A common concern was about the future of Canal Boulevard. Some residents are concerned that vague zoning regulations on Canal could allow for out-of-place businesses to take up residence and disrupt the small-town atmosphere. “We don't want upper Canal to end up looking like lower Canal. The soul of Thibodaux appears in the environment that is presented through town. If (tourists) see ugliness, they'll think Thibodaux is an ugly place,” resident Jane Block said.Residents also expressed concern over design standards, commercial businesses in residential areas and the construction of metal buildings. Ledet said he came to the meeting with his interest specifically on his neighborhood. He left impressed by the planning firm's work. “Everybody wants to improve and have a better place to live. Every time you do something like this, you're going to have differences in opinion. I think they're going about it the right way,” Ledet said. The study was something that Mayor Tommy Eschete had been considering when he was running for office, said Ryan Perque, administrative assistant to the mayor. “One of the things he ran his campaign on was a complete overhaul of our zoning rules and regulations. Not to say that maybe they are terrible or broken, but there is room for improvement,” he said.Eschete told people looking at the maps not to get overly concerned just yet, that the maps are going to change several more times before they're eventually accepted. “Tonight is not the end of the road. Tonight is the beginning of our trip through a series of public hearings,” Eschete said.

Staff Writer Jacob Batte can be reached at 448-7635 or jacob.batte@dailycomet.com.